House endorses martial law for Aceh
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
House of Representatives speakers on Monday endorsed the government's decision to impose martial law in Aceh, the basis of launching a military offensive against Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists.
House speaker Akbar Tandjung said the government had consulted House leaders about the offensive.
"The House has given full support to the government to take the necessary action (against GAM)," said Akbar, also chairman of the Golkar Party, the second largest party in the House.
House deputy speaker AM Fatwa from the National Mandate Party concurred.
"When people in Aceh feel troubled by an armed group seeking to secede from the unitary state of Indonesia, security restoration is a must," Fatwa said in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed a presidential decree late Sunday declaring martial law in Aceh, legalizing all out war against GAM.
The decree was signed minutes after last-ditch talks between the government and GAM representatives in Tokyo failed to salvage a peace deal.
However, Muslim figure Ahmad Syafii Maarif said the imposition of martial law in Aceh would fail to resolve the ongoing armed conflict.
"The Acehnese have long been traumatized by the imposition of the New Order's one-decade military operation. Therefore, the fresh martial law status will definitely not support any integrated conflict resolution," he said on Monday.
He feared martial law would only raise resentment against the central government. Approximately 10,000 Acehnese were killed during the 1988-1998 military operation.
Syafii and other influential figures including former foreign minister Ali Alatas, former home affairs minister Soerjadi Sudirdja and former United Development Party chairman Ismail Hasan Meutareum are members of the government's team of experts attempting to solve the crisis.
As martial law was already in place, Syafii suggested the military and police protect civilians during their hunt for GAM soldiers.
"Professionalism among military and police personnel is a prerequisite in the imposition of martial law. Moreover, the central government should also pay more attention to the psychological impact of the military operation on the Acehnese," he said.
Syafii believed there was still a chance for dialog between the Indonesian government and GAM, by replacing the mediator, the Henry Dunant Centre, with Acehnese figures who understood the problems in Aceh.
"That means no more foreign mediators or facilitators. The central government should hold a dialog with GAM directly through psychological, cultural, religious and customary approaches in a bid to obtain Acehnese sympathy."
Separately on Monday, a number of civil society groups held rallies in Jakarta to oppose the military operation in Aceh.
One group of Acehnese activists held a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to oppose the military operation and demand a referendum to end the conflict.
Another group, led by the Committee of Mass Prayer for Peace and Justice in Aceh, held a mass prayer at Taman Ismail Marzuki plaza in Jl. Cikini Raya, Central Jakarta.